title: Increased serum androstenedione in adults with autism spectrum conditions.
abstract: Molecular and behavioural evidence points to an association between sex-steroid hormones and autism spectrum conditions (ASC) and/or autistic traits. Prenatal androgen levels are associated with autistic traits, and several genes involved in steroidogenesis are associated with autism, Asperger Syndrome and/or autistic traits. Furthermore, higher rates of androgen-related conditions (such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, hirsutism, acne and hormone-related cancers) are reported in women with autism spectrum conditions. A key question therefore is if serum levels of gonadal and adrenal sex-steroids (particularly testosterone, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and androstenedione) are elevated in individuals with ASC. This was tested in a total sample of n=166 participants. The final eligible sample for hormone analysis comprised n=128 participants, n=58 of whom had a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome or high functioning autism (33 males and 25 females) and n=70 of whom were age- and IQ-matched typical controls (39 males and 31 females). ASC diagnosis (without any interaction with sex) strongly predicted androstenedione levels (p<0.01), and serum androstenedione levels were significantly elevated in the ASC group (Mann-Whitney W=2677, p=0.002), a result confirmed by permutation testing in females (permutation-corrected p=0.02). This result is discussed in terms of androstenedione being the immediate precursor of, and being converted into, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, or estrogens in hormone-sensitive tissues and organs.
authors.affiliation: Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK. lr315@cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruta
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ingudomnukul
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Bhismadev
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chakrabarti
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baron-Cohen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D004958:Estradiol; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate